CN113443147A

CN113443147A - Integrated aircraft passenger entertainment device, aircraft passenger seat and aircraft

Info

Publication number: CN113443147A
Application number: CN202010212282.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 安德烈亚斯·毛迈尔; 亚历杭德罗·莫拉莱斯-安东; 麦毅文; 罗雨欣
Original assignee: Airbus China Enterprise Management and Services Co Ltd
Current assignee: Airbus China Enterprise Management and Services Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-03-24
Filing date: 2020-03-24
Publication date: 2021-09-28
Also published as: US11772797B2; US20210300563A1; EP3885261B1; US20230373631A1; EP3885261A1

Abstract

The present application provides an aircraft passenger entertainment device for integration in an aircraft passenger seat, the aircraft passenger entertainment device comprising: a shell member attached to an aircraft passenger seat to serve as a functional accessory that provides additional functionality to the seat; a display screen movably attached to at least one surface of the housing member; and a controller embedded in a surface or an interior of the case member and controlling an operation of the display screen, wherein the case member is detachably attached to a rearward surface of a backrest of the seat at a height higher than a knee height of a passenger. The present application also provides an aircraft passenger seat integrated with an aircraft passenger entertainment device as described above, and an aircraft comprising such an aircraft passenger entertainment device or aircraft passenger seat. The invention enriches the entertainment function of the seat in a simple and economical way while ensuring maximum seat space and improves the comfort of passengers in the aircraft.

Description

Integrated aircraft passenger entertainment device, aircraft passenger seat and aircraft

Technical Field

The present application relates to an aircraft passenger entertainment device which can be integrated in an aircraft passenger seat, an aircraft passenger seat into which the aircraft passenger entertainment device is integrated, and an aircraft having the aforementioned aircraft passenger entertainment device or the aforementioned aircraft passenger seat.

Background

Passenger seats of aircraft are often equipped with other functional accessories that provide additional service to the passengers to enhance ride comfort, even economy class seats with limited ride space, often equipped with foldable small desk panels, newsstands pockets arranged on the seat backs to facilitate use by rear passengers. In addition, many seats are also provided with passenger entertainment devices that typically include a display screen, for example attached to a rearward surface of the passenger seat back, so that passengers seated in the rear seating row can view entertainment, such as movies or video games.

However, these functional accessories inevitably require a certain space. In situations where the passenger space is limited, particularly in economy class, it is often undesirable to utilize too much space to deploy these functional accessories. In particular, since the space between the front and rear rows of seats determines the size of the leg room (legroom) for the passenger, if the leg room is sacrificed by adding additional accessories at a position of the seat back lower than the knee height (knee level) of the passenger, the riding comfort is greatly reduced. Here, "passenger knee height" refers to the sitting position knee height of a passenger, and is an important reference index when designing a seat, particularly, the backrest structure and the seat pitch of the passenger seat. Thus, it will have the broader concept of "average passenger sitting knee height". In the same specification or model of seat, the "passenger knee height" will have a uniform value, e.g., 0.5m, 0.6m, etc., or a uniform range of values, e.g., 0.45m to 0.6 m.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the invention to provide a solution which makes it possible to add functional accessories to an aircraft passenger seat while at the same time making it possible to enlarge the seating space, in particular the legroom space.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an aircraft passenger entertainment device that is highly adaptable and easy to maintain.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an aircraft passenger entertainment device with a flexible structure and/or high adjustability or selectivity that better meets the customer's customized needs.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an aircraft passenger entertainment device on an aircraft seat in a cost effective, lightweight manner.

To achieve at least one of the above objects, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aircraft passenger entertainment device integrated in a seat of an aircraft, the aircraft passenger entertainment device comprising: a shell member attached to the seat to serve as a functional accessory that provides additional functionality to the seat; a display screen attached to at least one surface of the shell member; and a controller embedded in the surface or inside of the case member and controlling an operation of the display screen; wherein the shell member is detachably attached to a rearward surface of a backrest of the seat at a height higher than a knee height of the passenger.

Since the aircraft passenger entertainment device is integrated directly in the functional fitting of the seat, it neither hampers the arrangement of the existing functional fitting nor leads to a reduction in the seat pitch, as compared with the existing technology of adding additional entertainment devices, and is thus a passenger entertainment device that saves seat space.

Preferably, the display screen is a flexible OLED (organic light emitting diode) display screen. More preferably, the display screen is a touch OLED display screen. Therefore, the integrated passenger entertainment equipment has very light and thin volume, and is more beneficial to saving space and reducing weight. In addition, the flexible display screen also helps to reduce aircraft energy consumption. Furthermore, aircraft passenger seats are also contemplated that may have curved surfaces that may improve the aesthetic appearance of the entire cabin. This means that it may be desirable to use a cover member having a non-planar curved shape. In this case, it would be advantageous to use a flexible display screen, since the flexible display screen may conform to a curved surface, thus allowing more non-planar cover member designs to be applied.

Preferably, the case member includes: a fixed portion having a fixed shape and on which the display screen and the controller are mounted so as to constitute a main body portion of the passenger entertainment apparatus together with the fixed portion; a variable portion, the shape of which allows for being adapted such that the variable portion can constitute the functional accessory together with the fixed portion. This configuration makes the passenger amusement apparatus according to the present invention more convenient for mass production, and particularly, when replacing existing seat fittings, contributes to reduction of research and development work, which not only can improve production efficiency, but also contributes to saving of production cost and installation cost.

The aircraft passenger entertainment device comprises a connection mechanism fixing the display screen to the shell member and configured to allow changing the angle and/or position of the display screen relative to the shell member. Wherein the connection mechanism is a hinge assembly that allows the display screen to pivot relative to the housing member; or the attachment mechanism may be another attachment member, such as an adhesive, arranged to allow the display screen to change its curvature by virtue of its flexibility.

By means of the above-described connection mechanism, the passenger entertainment apparatus according to the present invention allows the passenger to adjust the viewing angle as desired by varying the inclination angle and position of the display screen as a whole with respect to the casing plate and/or by flexibly changing the shape by itself, thus greatly improving the adjustability of the passenger entertainment apparatus and improving the use feeling of the customer using the passenger entertainment apparatus. In addition, this mounting and adjustment of the display allows the passenger to optimize the viewing angle as desired without sacrificing the size of other structures of the seat, such as the capacity of the newspaper pocket, the thickness of the backrest, etc.

Preferably, the aircraft passenger entertainment device further comprises an adjustment means for adjusting the curvature of the display screen by changing the distance between two opposite edges of the display screen. Preferably, the adjustment device further comprises a control element arranged on the housing member, the passenger being able to control the adjustment device by operating the control element to adjust the curvature of the display screen.

This way of adjusting the curvature of the display screen allows the passenger to flexibly adjust the angle or curvature of the display screen to suit his different viewing angle, which results in a passenger entertainment device according to the invention with a higher degree of adjustability and thus an improved seat comfort. And such adjustment allows the passenger to optimize the viewing angle as desired without sacrificing the size of other structures of the seat, such as the capacity of the newspaper pocket, the thickness of the backrest, etc. In addition, the adjustment device is compact, lightweight, and concealed, without adversely affecting the bulk, weight, and aesthetics of the passenger entertainment device.

Preferably, the housing component is embodied as a newspaper bag housing plate which is attached on the upper part of the backrest of the seat, wherein the display screen is arranged on the side of the newspaper bag housing plate which faces the rear passenger.

Optionally, the shell member is embodied as a conventional foldable tray attached to the backrest of the seat, wherein the display screen is provided on a first surface of the foldable tray facing the passenger in the folded position; or on a second surface opposite the first surface; or on both the first and second surfaces.

This design, integrated into a conventional newspaper bag housing panel or foldable pallet, provides significant advantages over the prior art. On the one hand, it is possible to allow the newspaper bag housing plate to remain arranged on the upper part of the seat back without having to be displaced below knee height so as to affect legroom; on the other hand, the embedded design of this kind of frivolous display screen makes need not to change the size of current newspaper bag shell board or foldable tray board, consequently can adapt to novel or current seat design on a large scale.

Preferably, the controller is disposed at a rear facing surface of the display screen. This arrangement of the controller allows more space for the display screen to be arranged and makes the surface facing the passenger neat and beautiful.

Preferably, the passenger entertainment device acquires data via the wireless network system, which allows passengers to freely search, select and view interesting contents as needed, thereby better meeting personal electricity demand of customers and improving riding comfort of passengers; on the other hand, this eliminates the need for physical connectors such as cables, which facilitates both the structural simplicity of the passenger entertainment device and the easier disassembly/assembly of the passenger entertainment device.

Preferably, the passenger entertainment devices are individually powered via the power supply of the seat, which allows the passenger to turn on or off the passenger entertainment devices as desired, both to facilitate meeting the customized needs of the passenger and to facilitate conserving power.

Preferably, the passenger entertainment device further comprises an interface accessory allowing data transmission of an external electronic device with the passenger entertainment device, the interface accessory being integrated in the housing member and located in a non-HIC (head injury criterion) area. The interface accessory comprises a USB (universal serial bus) interface and an audio interface.

Preferably, the passenger entertainment device is capable of communicating with the external electronic device in a wireless connection.

Preferably, the passenger entertainment device is capable of functioning as a keyboard for the external electronic device.

Preferably, the passenger entertainment device is mounted to the seat via a standard format electrical connector and a standard format mechanical connector.

Therefore, the passenger entertainment device is a passenger entertainment device which is strong in adaptability and convenient to maintain, has higher selectivity in the aspect of viewing modes and viewing contents, and can fully meet the customized requirements of customers. The passenger entertainment device can also be easily exchanged for another passenger entertainment device, which enables faster repair, maintenance of the passenger entertainment device without interfering with the operation of the aircraft in which the passenger entertainment device is installed.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an economical aircraft passenger seat with improved comfort.

To achieve the above object, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a passenger seat for an aircraft, the seat comprising: a seat body including a seat portion and a backrest; and at least one functional accessory attached to the seat body to provide an additional function to the seat in addition to the seating function, in particular the at least one functional accessory comprising a passenger entertainment device as described hereinbefore.

Preferably, the seat further comprises: a seat power supply that is capable of individually powering passenger entertainment devices mounted thereon, and thus contributes to meeting the power demand of individual passengers and thus contributes to saving power; and coupling means adapted to engage with a standard-sized electrical connector and a standard-sized mechanical connector of a passenger entertainment device, such coupling means also allowing the seat to be conveniently connected to most electronic devices, thus improving the fit of the seat.

The object of the invention also consists in providing an aircraft which improves the ride comfort for the passengers in an economical and simple manner.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is also provided an aircraft provided with an aircraft passenger entertainment device as described above or with at least two seats, wherein one seat is an aircraft passenger seat as described above.

Preferably, the aircraft is further provided with: the wireless network system can be used for providing data for the passenger entertainment equipment, so that the customization requirements of customers can be better met, and the riding comfort of passengers is improved; and a seat power supply system including a seat power supply provided on each seat, the seat power supply being capable of individually supplying power to passenger entertainment devices mounted on the seat, the seat power supply thereby contributing to meeting the personal power demand of the passenger and thereby contributing to saving of electric power.

The features and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following non-limiting detailed description.

Drawings

Features and advantages of one or more embodiments of the present invention will become more readily understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic views of a prior art passenger seat, respectively;

fig. 2 is a perspective view of a seat integrated with a passenger entertainment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a passenger entertainment device integrated seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the display screen is in a curved state.

Fig. 4 is a partial view of a seat integrated with a passenger entertainment device according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein an adjustment arrangement is shown.

Fig. 5 is a partial view of a passenger entertainment device integrated seat according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein another adjustment device is shown.

Fig. 6 is a rear view of a housing member of a passenger entertainment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial view of a seat integrated with a passenger entertainment device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an aircraft according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 9A and 9B are perspective views of a passenger-entertainment-device-integrated seat according to a modified embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

Fig. 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams of a modular integrated passenger entertainment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an aircraft according to an embodiment of the invention.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

Detailed Description

The invention is described in detail below with the aid of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. The following detailed description of the invention is merely for purposes of illustration and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

Various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections may be described herein using the terms first, second, third, etc., but these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Such as the terms "first," "second," and other numerical terms, do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example configurations.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", and the like, which indicate orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings only for the convenience of describing the present invention and for simplicity of description, and do not indicate or imply that the referenced device or element must have a particular orientation, be constructed in a particular orientation, and be operated, and thus, should not be construed as limiting the present invention. .

Fig. 1A and 1B show two

known passenger seats

10A and 10B, respectively. The passenger seats 10A and 10B include

seat bodies

12A, 12B having

seat portions

14A, 14B and

backrest

16A, 16B, respectively, and further include functional accessories capable of providing additional functionality to the passenger seats. In this context, the term "additional function" means a function other than the seat function which is necessary for the seat itself, and the term "functional accessory" means an accessory which can provide the seat with a function other than the seat function, in particular a leisure function. Among conventional passenger seats,

newspaper bags

18A and 19B for storing books and newspapers for passengers to read and

foldable support plates

22A and 22B for allowing passengers to conveniently place personal belongings and dining are the most common functional accessories of the passenger seats. Considering that adding additional accessories to the seat back below the knee height of the passenger would take up space between the front and rear seats and thereby reduce the legroom (legroom) for the passenger, it is generally avoided, as with seat 10A, to add additional accessories at a position of the seat back below the knee height of the passenger (as indicated by line KL in fig. 1A and 1B); while some seats have entertainment devices such as a display 20B to enrich the entertainment function of the seat, in the case where the display 20B is mounted on the upper portion of the backrest, the newspaper bag 19B is usually made of a thin sheet material such as a simple mesh or fabric attached to the backrest 16B as in the seat 10B to save space, but it still inevitably takes up the leg room of the passenger.

The present invention provides an improved seat, particularly one that enriches the entertainment function of the seat by employing an integrated passenger entertainment device while ensuring an expanded leg room.

Fig. 2 to 8 show a seat 100 according to a first embodiment of the invention, suitable for use in the passenger compartment of an aircraft, in particular the passenger compartment of an aircraft 1000 as shown in fig. 8 and 11. In a first embodiment, the passenger entertainment device is integrated into a newspaper bag housing panel. The details are as follows.

As shown in fig. 2, the seat 100 includes a seat body 112 having a seat portion 114 and a backrest 116, and a plastic shell plate 118 is provided in an upper region of the backrest 116 facing away from a rearward surface of the seat portion 114, the shell plate 118 being detachably attached to the rearward surface of the backrest 116 and defining, together with the rearward surface of the backrest 116, a pocket open at an upper end thereof, in which, for example, a newspaper, an airline safety notice card, or the like (i.e., serving as a newspaper pocket) may be placed, where the shell plate 118 is one typical example of the aforementioned shell members. While a foldable tray 122 is provided in the area of the rearward surface of the backrest 116 below the shell plate 118. The foldable tray 122 is movable between a folded position and an unfolded position. In the folded position, the foldable tray 122 extends substantially parallel to a rearward surface of the backrest 116, and in the unfolded position, the foldable tray 122 defines a substantially horizontal plane.

As shown in fig. 2, 3 and 6, a display screen 120 is attached to one side of the casing 118, and a controller 121 for controlling the display content of the display screen 120 is provided on the other side of the casing 118 opposite to the display screen. The display screen 120 and the controller 121 are integrated in the casing 118 to constitute a passenger entertainment apparatus together with the casing 118. The passenger entertainment device may be removed from the backrest 116 or mounted to the corresponding portion of the backrest 116 as a unitary module (i.e., integrally). Wherein the construction of the housing plate 118 is based on that of the prior art newspaper bag, i.e., the middle portion thereof is outwardly protruded with respect to the left, right and lower side portions thereof, so that it forms an upper-end-opened newspaper bag together with the rearward surface of the seat back 116 when mounted on the seat back 116; its attachment to the seat back 116 may also be consistent with existing attachments, i.e., the shell plate 118 is ready-made without the need to change its overall size and mounting configuration for the integration of passenger entertainment equipment. And the housing plate 118 is provided with standard electrical connectors EC and mechanical connectors MC (as shown in fig. 6), which make the housing plate 118 universally adaptable, thereby facilitating maintenance and replacement of the passenger entertainment equipment, particularly for interchange with the non-display housing plate of an existing seat, and thus also providing cost savings.

Here, as shown in fig. 2 and 3, a display screen 120 is attached to the surface of the shell 118 that faces the rear passenger. Preferably, the display screen 120 is a flexible OLED (organic light emitting diode) display screen, more preferably a touch-sensitive flexible OLED display screen to further improve user comfort. In particular, the thickness of the OLED display may be in the range of about 0.1mm to 0.5mm, preferably as low as 0.2mm or less. As recognized in the industry, the OLED display panel is not only compact, slim and flexible in construction, but also has a light weight compared to conventional screens, and is also very effective in saving power. Thus, the display screen 120 according to the present application, by being embedded in the shell 118, does not result in a significant increase in the size or weight of the shell 118 nor occupies additional space between the front and rear seats, and also maximizes legroom as it allows the area below the knee height of the backrest 116 to be completely vacated, thereby improving comfort for rear passengers. Furthermore, the low power consumption of the flexible OLED display also makes it useful for saving the power consumption of the passenger entertainment device.

As shown in fig. 3, unlike the previous conventional LED display screen mounting method that is complicated and bulky, such as screws, frame fixing, etc., the flexible OLED display screen 120 can be fixed to the housing plate 118 in a more flexible and simpler manner. By way of example, the display screen 120 may be secured to the shell 118 by a hinge 150 as an attachment mechanism. In the embodiment of the passenger entertainment device shown in FIG. 3, the housing 118 and the display screen 120 each have a generally rectangular shape. In this case, the hinge device 150 may be disposed, for example, at an upper edge of the display screen 120, thereby allowing the display screen 120 to be turned upside down with respect to the case plate 118 about a hinge position (more specifically, a pivot axis of the hinge device 150) as a whole. Here, it is possible to make the hinge device 150 itself have enough friction to maintain the slim display screen 120 at an appropriate angle and to allow a passenger to manually change the angle of the display screen 120. A changing state of the display screen 120 is exemplarily shown in fig. 3. It is apparent that the changing state of the display screen 120 may be changed according to the passenger's needs, and is not limited to what is shown in the drawings.

The passenger entertainment apparatus can allow a passenger to adjust a viewing angle as desired by making the display screen 120 to be capable of changing the inclination angle and position with respect to the casing 118 as a whole and also changing the shape by its own flexibility in consideration of the variation of the seat inclination angle or the variation of the passenger's body shape and posture, thereby greatly improving the adjustability of the passenger entertainment apparatus and thus improving the feeling of use of the passenger using the passenger entertainment apparatus. Furthermore, the attachment mechanism according to the present disclosure does not sacrifice the size of other structures of the chair, such as the capacity of the newspaper pocket, the thickness of the backrest, etc., while allowing the viewing angle of the screen to be optimized. In this respect, it is understood that the type and the arrangement position of the connection mechanism are not limited to the above-mentioned hinge device, for example, as a simplified manner, the flexible OLED display 120 may be mounted to the shell plate 118 by using a magnetic connector or an adhesive, which further simplifies the mounting and dismounting process. In addition, the connection mechanism does not have to be disposed at the upper edge of the display screen 120, as long as the installation position thereof facilitates the user to adjust the display screen to a desired angle during the sitting process.

Further, an adjusting device capable of automatically adjusting the angle and the curvature of the screen according to the requirement of the passenger can be further arranged between the display screen 120 and the shell plate 118, so that the passenger can conveniently adjust the angle and the curvature of the screen. As shown in fig. 4, the adjustment device includes a movable piece 142 disposed on the side of the display screen 120 opposite to the connection mechanism, i.e., the lower edge of the display screen 120, the movable piece 142 being an elongated rod-shaped member and attached to the back surface of the display screen 120 at the lower edge of the display screen 120. A plurality of stoppers 144 are further provided at positions of the case plate 118 adjacent to the left and right edges of the display screen 120, the plurality of stoppers 144 are arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction, and the plurality of stoppers 144 hold the movable piece 142 at different positions in the vertical direction of the display screen 120 by shape-fitting with the movable piece 142, thereby enabling the display screen 120 to be deformed into and held in different bent states. Although the adjustment means is shown exaggerated for clarity, in practice the adjustment means may be provided in a concealed manner, for example, the moveable member 142 and the stop 144 may both be provided on the back of the display screen 120, and the occupant need only adjust the curvature of the display screen 120 by changing the position of the moveable member 142 by adjusting a small control element 148, such as a sliding key or knob, disposed on the housing plate 118 (as shown in fig. 5).

The adjustment device shown in fig. 4 is only an example, and the stopper 144 may not be provided, and the bending degree of the display screen 120 may be adjusted by maintaining the movable member 142 at a certain position by using friction, or may be another structure as long as the structure can change (reduce) the distance between one side edge of the flexible display screen 120 and the fixed edge, so that the flexible display screen is bent at different curvatures. In addition, the movable member 142 may not be used, and for example, fig. 5 shows a manner of providing a thin bracket on the back surface of the display screen 120. In this figure, thin brackets 146 are illustratively disposed on the left and right sides of the display screen and are associated with the lower edge of the display screen. The angle and degree of curvature of the display screen 120 can be varied by the occupant by adjusting the inclination of the bracket 146. Preferably, the bracket 146 may be hidden at the back of the display screen 120 in a laid-flat state and thus not visible from the outside, and the tilt angle of the bracket 146 may be adjusted by a control element 148, such as a knob, disposed near the screen.

Of course, any other feasible adjustment means than the above may be used. In a word, the adjusting device according to the technical scheme of the invention can assist passengers to flexibly adjust the angle and the bending degree of the display screen, so that the adjusting flexibility of the display screen is high, and the use feeling of customers is improved. It is clear that such an adjustment device, while allowing to optimize the viewing angle of the screen, does not compromise the dimensions of other structures of the seat, such as the capacity of the newspaper pocket, the thickness of the backrest, etc., which is advantageous with respect to the prior art. In addition, the adjustment device is compact, lightweight, and concealed, without adversely affecting the bulk, weight, and aesthetics of the passenger entertainment device.

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the shell 118, and as shown, the controller 121 is disposed on the back of the display screen and mounted on the surface of the shell 118 facing away from the rear passenger. This arrangement may allow more space for the display 120 to be disposed and may make the passenger-facing surface neat and aesthetically pleasing. The controller 121 is used to control the operation of the entire passenger entertainment device. In particular, the controller 121 receives power and data signals, in particular video and audio data signals, and customer command signals from the seat 100 and the aircraft 1000 through known power and data transmission means, and transmits the required power and signals processed by the processor internal to the controller 121 to the display screen 120 to cause the display screen 120 to display the passenger-customized content. The known power and data transmission means may be, for example, a cable. However, it is also contemplated to provide a wireless connection between the display screen 120 and the controller 121.

The passenger entertainment device according to the present invention further comprises an interface accessory 130 integrated in the housing 118 at a suitable location allowing an external electronic device (e.g. a mobile electronic device such as a passenger's cell phone, laptop, etc.) to communicate data and/or power with the passenger entertainment device. As shown in fig. 7, these interface accessories 130 include, for example, a USB (universal serial bus) interface 132 of a general type, an audio interface 134, and the like. In particular, the interface fitting 130 should be located in a non-HIC (head injury criterion) area to prevent injury to the occupant's head from being touched. These interface fittings 130 may be located in areas a and B (shown in phantom in fig. 7) beside the display on the front of the passenger entertainment device, or may be located on the side of the passenger entertainment device as shown in fig. 7, where placement may be more beneficial in avoiding the possibility of colliding with the passenger's head.

Here, the passenger entertainment device can communicate with an external electronic device in a wireless connection (e.g., bluetooth) in addition to the above-described interface accessory 130. In case the passenger entertainment device communicates with an external electronic device, such as a passenger's laptop, tablet, etc., via a wired connection (e.g. a USB interface or other electronic communication element) or a wireless connection, the passenger entertainment device can also be used as an auxiliary device for the external electronic device, e.g. as a keyboard. This further gives the passenger entertainment device of the invention greater versatility.

As shown in fig. 8, a seat power supply system (P) is provided in the aircraft. In this way, the passenger entertainment device can communicate with the power interface on the seat via the standard electrical coupling on the housing plate to power the electronics in the passenger entertainment device. In other words, the passenger entertainment device can be individually powered via the power supply of the seat, which allows the passenger to turn on or off the passenger entertainment device according to personal needs, thus facilitating both meeting the customized needs of the passenger and conserving power.

Furthermore, as is also shown in fig. 8, a network system, preferably a wireless network system (Wifi), indicated in fig. 8 with W, is arranged in the aircraft. The passenger entertainment device can freely acquire data from the network system, which allows passengers to freely search, select and watch contents of interest as required, thereby better meeting the customized information requirements of customers and improving the riding comfort of passengers. Alternatively or optionally, the passenger entertainment device may also be connected to the wired network system of the aircraft by a data line to obtain the data.

Fig. 9A and 9B illustrate another embodiment of a passenger seat 200 in which the passenger entertainment device is comprised of a foldable tray 222 and a display screen 220 and controller (not shown) integrated on the foldable tray 222, i.e., the foldable tray 222 serves as a housing member for the integrated passenger entertainment device. The foldable tray 222 is movable between a folded position and an open position, and the passenger entertainment device may be disposed on a first surface facing the passenger when the foldable tray 222 is in the folded position, as shown in fig. 9A; or on a second surface facing the passenger when the foldable tray 222 is in the open position, as shown in fig. 9B, i.e., on a surface opposite the first surface; or may be provided on both the first surface and the second surface. In this case, the display screen 220 may be secured at its lower edge to the foldable tray 222, and the configuration of the remaining accessories, including the connection mechanism, adjustment means, power and data transmission means, mechanical connection means, interface accessories, etc., may all be provided in the same or similar manner as the previous embodiments.

The advantages of the integrated passenger entertainment device according to the invention will be evident in the case of application in seats of aircraft, including but not limited to: firstly, compared with the passenger entertainment equipment of the prior seat, the integrated passenger entertainment equipment has very light and thin volume, and is beneficial to saving space and reducing weight; secondly, the integrated passenger entertainment device is directly integrated on the existing functional accessories, can be integrated on the seat without adjusting the seat, and adopts universal or standardized electronic and mechanical interfaces and connecting pieces, so that the seat can be quickly, economically and efficiently integrated and reformed in the existing seat, and the passenger entertainment device is strong in adaptability and convenient to maintain; thirdly, the screen of the integrated passenger entertainment equipment is a flexible OLED screen, as described above, the angle and the curvature can be adjusted at will according to the requirements, the different requirements of different customers on the viewing angle are met, meanwhile, the power can be independently supplied through a seat power supply, and data are provided through WiFi, so that the customers can freely select favorite contents in a wider range, and the integrated passenger entertainment equipment has higher selectivity in both the viewing mode and the viewing content, and can fully meet the customized requirements of the customers; fourth, the flexible OLED screen itself is low power consuming, and the integrated design itself is also development and manufacturing cost effective, so the passenger entertainment device is cost effective; and fifthly, the safety of the seat is ensured by providing a flexible display screen and disposing connectors, interface fittings, etc. in the non-HIC region.

It is apparent that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the illustrated forms, and those skilled in the art can make any modifications according to the concept of the present invention. For example, based on the example shown above, as a more preferred embodiment, there may be provided a modular integrated passenger entertainment device as shown in fig. 10A and 10B, characterized by having a "modular housing member". The "modular housing member" may be a more flexible member than the "housing member" discussed above with reference to the "journal bag housing panel 118" and the "

foldable support panels

122, 222".

As an example, fig. 10A shows a modular integrated passenger entertainment device M for replacing a newspaper bag housing panel, wherein the modular housing member C may comprise a fixed portion C1 of fixed shape and size and a variable portion C2 of shape and size that may be adapted according to the configuration of the seat, particularly the seat fitting. Wherein the display and controls are disposed on fixed portion C1 thereby collectively defining a main body portion of the modular integrated passenger entertainment device that integrates substantially all of the function of the passenger entertainment device as a display device, and variable portion C2 is adapted to complement the shape of fixed portion C1 so as to form, in combination with fixed portion C1, the shape of a newspaper bag housing panel.

For example, fig. 10B illustrates a modular integrated passenger entertainment device M 'for replacing a foldable tray, whose modular housing member C' will have a different shape than the aforementioned modular housing member C, since the foldable tray will have a different shape and size than the aforementioned newspaper bag housing plate. In this modular shell member C ', the fixed portion C1' remains unchanged, i.e. is completely identical to the fixed portion C1 described above, and only the shape of the variable portion C2 'is adjusted so that the modular shell member C' obtained after combining the fixed portion C1 'and the variable portion C2' can directly replace the existing foldable pallet.

Such a modular integrated passenger entertainment device would further highlight the advantages of the present invention. When applying the integrated passenger entertainment device to different styles and models of seats, only the variable portion of the integrated passenger entertainment device needs to be adjusted, with little or no modification to existing seats. This makes it possible to produce the integrated passenger entertainment device with as many uniform parts as possible, which facilitates mass production, and particularly facilitates reduction of research and development work when replacing existing seat fittings, which not only improves production efficiency, but also facilitates saving production costs.

In conclusion, although the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments/examples described and illustrated in detail herein, and that various changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An aircraft passenger entertainment device integrated in an aircraft passenger seat (100; 200), the aircraft passenger entertainment device comprising:

a shell member (118; 218; C; C '), the shell member (118; 218; C; C') being attached to the seat to serve as a functional accessory that provides additional functionality to the seat beyond seating;

a display screen (120; 220) movably attached to at least one surface of the shell member (118; 218; C; C'); and

a controller (121) embedded on the surface or inside of the case member (118; 218; C; C') and communicatively connected to the display screen (120; 220);

wherein the shell member (118; 218; C; C') is detachably attached to a rearward surface of a backrest of the seat above a passenger knee height (KL).

2. Aircraft passenger entertainment device according to claim 1, wherein the display screen (120; 220) is a flexible OLED display screen.

3. Aircraft passenger entertainment device according to claim 1, wherein the shell member (118; 218; C; C') comprises:

a fixed portion (C1; C1 '), the fixed portion (C1; C1') having a fixed shape, and the display screen (120; 220) and the controller (121) being mounted on the fixed portion (C1; C1 ') so as to constitute, together with the fixed portion (C1; C1'), a body portion of the aircraft passenger entertainment device;

a variable portion (C2; C2 '), the shape of which variable portion (C2; C2') is allowed to be adapted so that the variable portion (C2; C2 ') can constitute the functional fitting together with the fixed portion (C1; C1').

4. Aircraft passenger entertainment device according to claim 2, further comprising a connection mechanism fixing the display screen (120; 220) to the shell member (118; 218; C; C ') and configured to allow changing the angle and/or position of the display screen (120; 220) relative to the shell member (118; 218; C; C').

5. Aircraft passenger entertainment device according to claim 4, wherein the connection mechanism is a hinge arrangement (150) allowing the display screen (120; 220) to pivot relative to the shell member (118; 218; C; C').

6. Aircraft passenger entertainment device according to claim 4, wherein the connection mechanism is a magnetic connection, a clamp or an adhesive arranged to allow changing the curvature of the display screen (120; 220) by virtue of its own flexibility.

7. Aircraft passenger entertainment device according to claim 2, further comprising an adjustment means (142, 144; 146) for adjusting the curvature of the display screen (120; 220) by changing the distance between two opposite edges of the display screen (120; 220).

8. Aircraft passenger entertainment device according to claim 7, wherein the adjustment means (142, 144; 146) further comprise a control element (148) arranged on the shell member (118; 218; C; C'), by means of which control element the passenger can control the adjustment means in order to adjust the curvature of the display screen (120; 220).

9. The aircraft passenger entertainment device of claim 2, wherein the display screen is a touch OLED display screen.

10. Aircraft passenger entertainment device according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the shell member (118; 218; C') is implemented as a newspaper bag shell attached at an upper portion of a backrest (116) of the seat, wherein the display screen (120; 220) is provided at a side of the newspaper bag shell facing a rear passenger.

11. Aircraft passenger entertainment device according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the shell member (118; 218; C') is implemented as a conventional foldable tray attached on a backrest (116) of the seat, wherein the display screen (120; 220) is provided at a first surface of the foldable tray facing a rear passenger in a folded position; or on a second surface of the foldable tray opposite the first surface; or on both the first surface and the second surface.

12. The aircraft passenger entertainment device of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the aircraft passenger entertainment device obtains data via a wireless network system.

13. The aircraft passenger entertainment device of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the aircraft passenger entertainment device is solely powered via a power supply of the seat (100; 200).

14. The aircraft passenger entertainment device of any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising an interface accessory (130) that allows data transmission of an external electronic device with the aircraft passenger entertainment device, the interface accessory (130) being integrated in the shell member and located in a non-HIC region.

15. The aircraft passenger entertainment device of claim 14, wherein the interface accessory (130) comprises a USB interface (132) and an audio interface (134).

16. The aircraft passenger entertainment device of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the aircraft passenger entertainment device is capable of functioning as a keypad for an external electronic device.

17. The aircraft passenger entertainment device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the aircraft passenger entertainment device is mounted to the seat (100; 200) via a standard-sized Electrical Connector (EC) and a standard-sized Mechanical Connection (MC).

18. An aircraft passenger seat (100; 200) comprising:

a seat body (112), the seat body (112) including a seat portion (114) and a backrest (116); and

at least one functional accessory attached to the seat body (112) to provide additional functionality beyond seating functionality for the seat (100; 200),

characterized in that the at least one functional accessory comprises an aircraft passenger entertainment device according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. An aircraft (1000) equipped with one or more aircraft passenger entertainment devices according to any one of claims 1 to 17 or with one or more aircraft passenger seats (100; 200) according to claim 18.

20. The aircraft (1000) of claim 19, further configured with:

a wireless network system (W) operable to provide data to the aircraft passenger entertainment device; and

a seat power supply system (P) comprising a seat power supply provided on each aircraft passenger seat, the seat power supply being capable of individually powering the aircraft passenger entertainment devices mounted on the aircraft passenger seats.